10 GHP / Q1 2022 , Oct21175 Mission Inn Resort & Club is renowned for its picturesque rolling hills, orange groves, and shimmering lakes, a location that attracts golf enthusiasts, fishermen, and eco-tourists who love to be surrounded by the region’s expansive natural beauty. The resort is conveniently central to Central Florida’s world-famous theme parks, wineries, shopping and local attractions, and also provides a refined home base for guests wishing to explore the Lake County area. Upscale Golf Club of the Year 2021 - Florida 50 years ago, Mission Inn Resort & Club was nothing more than a concept. It was the vision and dream of Nick Beucher, a mid-western businessman with a sense of adventure. In 1964, he purchased what was then known as the Floridan Country Club, but the story of Mission Inn starts nearly 100 years before that; back when citrus groves canopied Central Florida and cowboys roamed Mexico. The resort’s history traces back to 1916, when William J. Howey purchased 60,000 acres of real estate in Central Florida with plans to create the largest horticultural empire in the world. Its ideal climate and rich soil provided the perfect setting for investors to buy acreage from Howey, following which he would contract with his company to clear the land, plant citrus trees, harvest and ship the fruit. Howey would then return the profits to the owners. In order to boost sales and create incentive for additional growth, Howey decided to build a golf course to complement his inn. In 1917, Chicago’s George O’Neil was hired to design the course and soon after, the Florida Chain-o-Lakes Country Club opened. Offering rare tee-togreen elevations of 85ft, towering forests, and sparkling spring-fed lakes, the course was widely acclaimed as Florida’s finest. In the mid-1920s, the course was enhanced – but soon after, the stock market crashed, the Great Depression ensued, and this, combined with one of the worst freezes of Florida’s history, sadly brought Howey’s dreams of a citrus empire to an end. Fast forward to 1936 and Illinois native, Nick Beucher began his sales career with the Morton Salt Company in Chicago’s western suburbs. Beucher was named top salesman of the year for four years running, but his career was interrupted when he broke his leg in a local rodeo. Once he was better, he went ahead and fulfilled his dream of riding across Mexico on horseback. In 1939, at the age of 21, Nick and a friend saddled up and spent 39 days riding nearly 1,400 miles. 25 years later, Beucher was a husband, father, and successful businessman buying and selling cattle by-products including meat and hides. It was around then that he saw an ad in the Wall Street Journal and made the decision to buy what was then known as the Floridan Country Club in Howey-in-theHills. Both the course and the clubhouse were badly neglected and in need of repairs. By 1969, Beucher had renovated the golf course and clubhouse, and he then turned his sights towards creating a new resort. Inspired by his time in Mexico, his new resort would feature Spanish Colonial architecture, of which he was very fond. Over the years, the resort expanded to include a second golf course, fresh-water fishing, a full-service spa, four restaurants, and 30,000sqft of space for meetings, weddings, and special events. Beucher’s family joined the business, and today, his children and grandchildren own the resort, welcoming guests to join them for a memorable experience at their home away from home. Mission Inn Resort & Club is a direct reflection of the vision and relentless effort of the Beucher family and the resort’s dedicated employees. Just 35 minutes from Orlando, Mission Resort is now an elegant, 1,100-acre golf resort which offers guests an escape to a spectacular Central Florida destination, whether for a golf vacation, a dream wedding, a romantic couples’ getaway, the next corporate event, or an intimate brunch. Alongside its two championship golf courses, Mission Inn offers guests a lounge poolside, tennis and volleyball pitches, space for bass fishing and trap/skeet shooting, and hiking paths. One of the South’s oldest golf courses, El Campeón blends unusual Central Florida elevation changes of more than 85ft with features of traditional golf design, including spectacular rolling fairways and undulating greens. Las Colinas is the other golf course, with an inland links design alongside generous, wide-open fairways, gentle rolling hills and large, undulating greens. Its signature hole, Alligator Alley (#12) spans 493 yards along a tree-lined fairway and requires absolute accuracy from tee-to-green. For a complete golfing experience, golfers can book on for the complete getaway package, which includes a deluxe room; the Bountiful Breakfast Buffet following each night’s stay; green fees for 18 holes per night’s stay; advance tee times; shared cart for 18 holes per night’s stay; daily range balls; and club cleaning, storage and bag tag. For any guests who would rather enjoy spa treatments instead of golfing, the Golf & Spa Special Package is available. Mission Inn’s guests truly feel right at home during their stay, with a choice from 176 rooms
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